THE BATTLE OF ALFORD. Two months after the defeat of Sir John Hurry at Auldern, Montrose utterly destroyed the other division of the covenanting army, under General Baillie, at Alford on the Don. On the 2d of July, the King's forces marched from Drumminor, and crossed the Don to Alford, Montrose and the Earl of Aboyne taking up their quarters in the castle of Asloun. Baillie, who was now in pursuit of the royalists, moved southward, and encamped on the day just mentioned, at Lesly. The next morning he crossed the river (halting on the way near a farm called Mill Hill), whereupon the battle took place. Montrose dearly purchased this new victory by the loss of Lord George Gordon, who commanded the _right_ wing, not the left. These fragmentary verses are from _The Thistle of Scotland_, p. 68. The Graham[s and] Gordons of Aboyne Camp'd at Drumminor bog; At the castle there they lay all night, And left them scarce a hog. The black Baillie, that auld dog, 5 Appeared on our right; We quickly raise up frae the bog, To Alford march'd that night. We lay at Lesly all night, They camped at Asloun; 10 And up we raise afore daylight, To ding the beggars doun. Before we was in battle rank, We was anent Mill Hill; I wat full weel they gar'd us rue,[L15] 15 We gat fighting our fill. They hunted us and dunted us, They drave us here and there, Untill three hundred of our men Lay gasping in their lair. 20 The Earl of Mar the right wing guided, The colours stood him by; Lord George Gordon the left wing guided, Who well the sword could ply. There came a ball shot frae the west 25 That shot him through the back; Although he was our enemy, We grieved for his wreck. We cannot say 'twas his own men, But yet it came that way; 30 In Scotland there was not a match To that man where he lay. 15. fell. THE BATTLE OF PENTLAND HILLS. _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, ii. 203